UMass Boston

Beginning with the fall semester, we are making some important changes that will allow you to receive financial aid, billing, and payment information earlier then ever before. You are also be required to make a plan to pay the balance of your bill by the due date on the bill.

Improvements you can expect:

• 2023-2024 Tuition and Fee Rates have been posted on the bursar website
• Financial Aid packages will be available by July 5th (for students who submit a FAFSA by the May 1 priority deadline and complete all related To-Do list items)
• Registered students can view charges in WISER beginning July 5 (see Student WISER)
• Enrollment for a payment plan will be available once charges are in WISER. See more about how to enroll, including a how-to video.

Actions you can take:

• Register early. By registering as early as you can, you can take advantage of the best selection of courses. Remember that you can always make adjustments as needed.
• Submit your FAFSA by the priority deadline to make sure your aid is packaged in time.
• Make a plan to pay. This means you should review your bill early to understand how much of your balance will not be covered by financial aid and 3^rd party payments (waivers, loans, etc.) and how you will pay that amount by the due date on the bill.^.

What will Happen:

• Any balance must be paid in full or a payment plan must be in place before the start of the semester or your courses may be dropped and you will have to re-enroll. If you do not intend to attend classes that you have registered for, you must drop them before the add/drop deadline or you may be charged for them.  Non-payment or refusing to make a plan to pay does not guarantee that you will be dropped from courses.  Please refer to the Student Financial Responsibility Agreement or contact the One-Stop with questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: DO NOT use the plan to pay process as a way to drop courses.  Students MUST drop courses that they don’t plan to attend THEMSELVES or they may be responsible for the cost. 

• Updates
  • Seeing a “Plan to Pay” indicator on your WISER account means you are at risk of being dropped from courses. Contact the One-Stop or use the Plan to Pay Supplemental Information Form to get a plan to pay in place so the indicator can be removed.
  • International students will be provided additional time to comply and will not have courses dropped.
  • Summer balances do not count toward potential course drop, but will be included in payment plan amounts.
  • Your WISER balance is “real-time” with enrollment changes. Payment plans are delayed and will rebalance between payments.
  • Students who registered after 8/7 will still need a Plan to Pay by the due date on the bill or they may be assessed a late payment fee.

• What is the simplest way to deal with this new requirement?
  • Start early!
  • Register for courses as early as possible.
  • File your FAFSA to get your financial aid awarded.
  • Get your bill “final” as early as possible.
    • Have registration and financial aid awards complete.
    • Have sign-ups for MBTA passes, parking passes, commuter meal plans completed
    • Waive your health insurance if you have comparable insurance
  • Get all of your paperwork in and/or alert the Bursar or One-Stop of funding that is coming later than the bill due date (3^rd party scholarships, loans, waivers, etc.)
  • Sign up for a payment plan if you need one as soon as any charge hits your account and/or be prepared to make the/a payment by the August 15 due date (it will “rebalance” to include new charges and payments).

• Must I pay my fall semester bill in full by the due date on the bill?
  • You have to submit payment for the balance OR set up a payment plan in WISER for the amount left (if any) after all deductions from aid, 3^rd party payments, etc.

• How will UMass Boston know if I have a “Plan to Pay”?
  • Most student accounts will carry an indicator that identifies whether they have a plan to pay or not (“P2P”). If that indicator remains on the account by the due date on the bill, you may be dropped from course registrations.  
    • To remove the indicator, you must have paid the balance in full, enrolled in a payment plan AND have submitted to the Bursar, through the plan to pay Supplemental Information Form (or other contact with UMB staff), all necessary supporting materials for 3rd party payments (outside scholarships, loans, 529 plans, etc.) that you are waiting for.
    • If you have all of that before the due date of your bill, your first payment (of 5) will be due on the net amount owed after all deductions from pending aid and other 3rd party aid, etc. If you do not have materials submitted, you will have until September 15th to submit a plan. At that point you will only have a 4-payment plan available and will make the first payment at the next due date. 
    • If you choose to not have a payment plan at all, you must pay the balance in full by the due date of your bill or possibly be dropped from courses.

• What if I am waiting for an outside scholarship, funds from a 529 plan, or another source?
  • You may be asked to provide some documentation to avoid possible drop from courses
    
    • You can submit information supporting your plan to pay for review by UMB staff using plan to pay Supplemental Information Form, or contact with the One-Stop or Bursar’s Office.

• What if I am a residential student planning to live in the Motley residence halls this fall?
• You will be billed separately for your housing costs by COCM.
• Your residential meal plan will be automatically added to your bill once your contract to live in student housing is complete.

• What kind of documentation do I have to provide for 3rd party payments of my bill?
• First, if you are a continuing student and have had a 3^rd party payor in the past, you may not need to provide documentation. Check with the One-Stop to be sure.
• Ex. 3^rd party Contracts, Award Letters, National Guard Certificates, Financial Guarantee Letters, or Purchase Order should be submitted to the Bursar's Office by August 15.

• When could my courses be dropped if I don’t have a plan to pay?
• The first round of potential course drops is planned for August 22
• There may be additional rounds for those who register later, which will be publicized in advance, with a final drop occurring at the close of the add/drop period (Add/Drop ends on Tuesday, September 12).

• I have not registered for courses but there are charges on my account.  Do I have to pay them by the due date?
• You may have charges from a previous semester on your account. Such charges will not count toward a potential drop of courses but they will be included in a payment plan.
• You may have charges for a meal plan, parking pass or other non-course related actions on your bill before you register for classes. You should pay those charges by the due date of the invoice or set up a payment plan. 
• When you register for courses, charges will be added and you will have to pay the balance by the next due date or sign up for a payment plan (5, 4, or 3 payments depending on when you register and sign up for the plan).
• A payment plan will “rebalance” to include the new charges and payments made.

• I have an assistantship, does this change anything?
• Yes.  Provide proof of that to the One-Stop or Bursar as part of your plan to pay.  If you are using the payroll deduction option from GEO, note that, and you will have the “P2P” indicator removed from your account and avoid being dropped from your course registrations.

• I am an international student, does this change anything?
• Yes.  International students will have more time to complete their Plan to Pay.

• I am a Shorelight Student, does this change anything?
• Yes.  Shorelight students are exempt once payment has been received by Shorelight.  Any Shorelight scholarship will also be added to your account through communication with Shorelight.